Tirade A declamatory strain or flight of censure or abuse; a rambling invective; an oration or harangue abounding in censorious and bitter language.
Today, I'm instituting a new feature on my blog, the Tuesday Tirade. I will hold forth on my opinions and brook no dissention (except in the comments) and give no quarter.
Today's Topic:
Stupid Useless Vehicles
(this week's installment is directed at the big ones. Little ones are a whole different kind of stupid)
First off, let me say that there are some people, who justifiably require a vehicle like an SUV. Not many, but some. That said, most people who drive SUV's are complete idots and shouldn't be allowed to drive at all, let alone drive giant death machines.
Yeah, I called them death machines. Why? Many are top heavy. Most are not designed with any thought of safety for those outside the vehicle. And there's not a damn one with any kind of fuel efficency.
Let's blame the roll-overs on the tires! Ignore the fact that cars have blowouts, and most cars don't roll when they have a blowout. Ignore the fact that they put the center of gravity high in the truck (yeah, they're trucks). It's the tires' fault. Let's ignore the fact that our bumpers are at head level on most vehicles. Let's ignore the fact that they have a blind spot that you could park another SUV in. Let's ignore all of the safety issues. Let's even ignore the environmental impact of getting 12 MPG.
Let's talk about the attitude of the people who drive these things and how that makes them death machines. People claim they are "safer" in an SUV. That's a crock. People who buy a big vehicle because it's "safer" should not be allowed on the road. Since the vehicle is at best, marginally safer, for them it usually means that they now feel that it's okay to talk on the cell phone and drink their $5 coffee. They think the mirrors are there to check their hair. They think No Parking signs mean something different for them. They think they own the damn road. But we can ignore that issue too.
My biggest issue is the people with the American Flags on their big-ass SUV's. I don't care about Democrats and Republicans. We're in a war with a country who's primary export is oil. The massive use of oil by the US pumped billions of dollars into that country. That money was used by a ruthless dictator to opress the people of that country. We removed that dictator. Sounds great. But with any leader, there are those that will follow power regardless of the right or wrong of it, and so the fighting continues. Americans and Iraqi's are dying every day because of oil. Regardless of whether this war is about maintaining our supplies of Oil or freeing people from a dictator who's power derived from oil money, people are dying because we use too damn much oil. And yet, it's socially acceptable, in fact it's considered a status symbol to drive a vehicle that gets less than 15 MPG. That is just plain stupid. Gas prices are at record highs. But hey, who cares when you can drop $50,000 on your car, why not spend another couple grand a year to gas it up to get to and from your health club. That's much more socially acceptable than walking. Only poor people walk. Only freaks walk. What? Get exercise in an uncontrolled environment? What? Go in public without displaying your wealth? You must be kidding?
Driving an SUV is sad. It doesn't make you special. It makes you an a sheep. It makes you pathetic. It makes you disgusting. And it's killing the men and women who put themselves in harm's way for America.
Yes, every car is a part of the problem and even the busses contribute. But shouldn't you make an effort to minimise the hurt you do?